Creature Comforts
by Sutaa-chan
Summary: A fic in response to Atarashii's challenge taken to a whole new level of odd. Yugi accidentally injures two of his best friends and in wishing for a second chance at friendship, he gets a little more than what he wanted. (Features Dark Magician in PJ's!)
1. Screaming Daisies

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh and the fic challenge was Atarashii's, and the lyrics for the title and ending words are from Bush's "Razorblade Suitcase" album. And I have no idea why Dark Magician and Celtic Guardian are missing from Yugi's deck. Absolutely none whatsoever...*innocent grin*

Author's Notes: This is just plain WEIRD and I should be writing more of Changes, but I keep getting inspired by...other things. *glowers* Darn you, Dark Magician and Celtic Guardian! Why do you two have to be so darned CUTE! *sigh* Anyway, this is a response to Atarashii's fic challenge that I couldn't help but make incredibly freaky. Cheerfully Gothic fantasy lover, I am. Completely sane, I am not. o^.^o Beginning and ending words are from "Greedy Fly" by Bush. Lots of italics in this chapter, be warned...

"talking"

'_thinking_'

\_Yugi_\

\\_Yami_\\

*~~~*

_flashback_

*---*

scene change

**Creature Comforts**

**Chapter One: Screaming Daisies**

            Ever been in a situation where 'I'm sorry' simply wasn't enough?

            Yugi pulled his knees to his chest and buried his face in his arms, letting the salty tears stain the fabric. He hadn't meant to make Joey fall, and now...

            *~~~~~~~~~~*

            _Joey crouched in a tree, leering down at the unsuspecting Tristan with a mischievous grin and a water balloon. Yugi walked around the tree and spied him, grinning before calling out a purely innocent 'BOO!'. Unfortunately, this startled the blond more than he had wanted to and he toppled forward onto the brunette. Time seemed to slow down to a snail's pace and a sickening crack followed shortly by two pained screams were the only sounds. Joey lay whimpering and clutching his injured arm while Tristan yelped as he tried to stand on a broken ankle. Téa ran over quickly and knelt down beside the two boys and glared at Yugi before yelling to Bakura to call an ambulance._

            *~~~~~~~~~~*

            Yugi was now curled up in the plastic emergency room chair, crying his eyes out and recieving worried stares from passing people. Téa was refusing to speak to him, as was Yami.

            *~~~~~~~~~~*

            _/Yami! Yami, I--/_

_            //I saw, Yugi. That was unkind of you.//_

_            /But I didn't mean to! It was just a joke!/_

_            //Yugi, some of the worst things have happened because someone was just joking.//_

_            /But I--/_

_            //That's enough! I'll not hear another word out of you until you realize exactly what you have done and atone for it.//_

_            /Yami.../_

_            No answer. The door to his Soul Room was locked tightly._

            *~~~~~~~~~~*

            Why had Yami gotten so angry? He hadn't meant to...

            Joey and Tristan had been out of the emergency room for over an hour now and had gone home. One of the bones of Joey's upper arm had snapped cleanly in two and Tristan had a fracture and a torn ligament in his ankle. Yugi remained in the hospital, still curled up in the chair, still crying. He couldn't go home; his grandfather would be too angry with him. He was sure they had called him by then. It would take weeks for the two boys to heal, but it was undetermined when their friendship would mend. The small boy was certain the answer was "never".

            "Excuse me..."

            Yugi looked up at the doctor who stood before him. The woman had a warm look in her eyes.

            "Are you alright?"

            "I...yes."

            "Are you waiting for someone in there?"

            "Yes..." he lied.

            "Alright. I hope they feel better soon." She smiled and patted the boy's head gently, making him feel a little better. At least one person cared...He sighed softly and stood up.

            '_I suppose...I should go home..._' the boy thought to himself, straightening his clothes and drying his teary eyes. He glanced at the kind doctor one more time before quietly leaving the hospital.

            *----------*

            Yugi stared at the wall of his room blankly, his hand resting where the puzzle would have been. It had been half an hour since he came home and he'd gotten quite a fuss when he came through the door of the Game Shop. His grandfather had scolded him for fifteen minutes straight and it had taken the child all the willpower he could muster not to cry. He had tried to talk to Yami once more, but the once pharaoh would not answer him. He then simply took the puzzle off and now it lay on a small stand in the hallway.

            Slowly Yugi sat up and reached for his deck of Duel Monster cards, flipping through them almost automatically. Gaia, Kuriboh, De-Spell, Polymerization, Curse of Dragon, Dark Magician....ah, the Dark Magician. His favorite card. He stared at the picture of the purple-clad, ice-eyed mage. If only he could be like that—powerful, handsome, tall—even though his grandfather had told him that boys like him who stayed short for a long time would grow quickly and very, very tall. Joey even had a bet going with him that he would be taller than Tristan one day. That is, he _had _a bet going before what had happened. Now it and his friendship would probably be cancelled forever. And at the moment, he didn't really care if he shrank a few inches; he simply wanted at least _someone _to be his friend.

            Yugi was beginning to get sleepy. He noticed that it had grown a little chilly in the room and he set his cards aside and snuggled under the covers. What he didn't notice was that the room was getting darker.

            Much darker.

**~~~Do You Feel The Way You Hate**

**Do You Hate The Way You Feel?~~~**

Ooooh, spookeh...o^.^o It gets much more interesting after this, I promise.


	2. All Of A Sudden You Come My Way

Author's Notes: This is getting strange...*sigh* Oh, well. I _am _strange. Beginning and ending words are from Bush's "History".

**Creature Comforts**

**Chapter Two: All Of A Sudden You Come My Way**

            Yugi awoke in a dark and foreboding place. It looked very, very similar to the Shadow Realm, but something was different about this place. It seemed to have someone—or something—residing within the dark shadows. A hand fell onto his shoulder and the boy whirled around to see a very surprising something.

            *----------*

            "Yugi! Dinner's ready!"

            No answer.

            "Yugi! Dinner!"

            Still no answer.

            Yugi's grandfather slowly climbed the stairs, eyeing the discarded Millenium Puzzle on the small table, and knocked on Yugi's door.

            "Yugi? Are you alright?"

            Again, no answer. The old man opened the door and peered inside to see no one there. He had definitely heard Yugi going into his room earlier. He began to search the room. Finding nothing, he searched the house. Still, he found no trace of the boy with tri-colored hair.

            *----------*

            In front of Yugi stood his Dark Magician, looking down at him curiously.

            "Yugi?" he inquired gently. His tenor voice was wonderful to hear; soft and low, almost unfitting for a magician of the black arts but it suited the blue-eyed creature perfectly. He was very tall—over six feet, it seemed—and he was utterly gorgeous.

            "Dark...Magician?" Yugi murmured in awe, standing up while the other knelt down to look the boy in the eyes. He was still taller than the child, even when kneeling. Yugi slowly reached out and touched the magician's chest. He felt cool armor underneath his hand and he just barely felt a steady heartbeat below. "You're...real...." the child whispered, thoroughly amazed. A thin hand touched the back of Yugi's and violet locked with bright blue. A smile tugged at the edge of the mage's mouth.

            "And _you're _here."

            "Where is 'here'?"

            "I honestly don't know. My room, I guess. Where I stay when you are not dueling with me. How did you get here?"

            "I don't know..."

            "Hm...I wasn't practicing any spells at the time...were you?"

            "I don't know any."

            "I should have figured that. You don't seem to be the type to study sorcery." The Dark Magician sighed softly. "Anyway, it's nice to have company, even for a little while. I'll see if I can get you home..."

            "I don't want to go home."

            "What?"

            "I said I don't want to go home. Everyone is mad at me there! I just made one mistake and—"

            "Say no more. I understand completely."

            "You do?"

            "Even magicians as powerful as I make mistakes. It's...something I don't like to discuss."

            "Same here. What do you do in here all the time, by the way?"

            "Not much. Sleep, read, practice spells. It gets lonesome sometimes." He sighed again.

            "Oh...um, you didn't mention getting hungry..."

            "Hm? Oh, I don't need food. This...poses a problem if you do..." Yugi's stomach growled in response. "Well damn. I guess having a pet human has the same responsibilities as having a pet animal." Yugi tensed at the statement and the magician smiled. "Just kidding. I'll find something to help, don't worry."

            "Thank you..."

            "You're very welcome. The only thing I ask for in return is the pleasure of your company." With that, the magician stood and closed his eyes. Almost instantly, a desk, a chair, and a bed appeared. On the desk was a thick, leather-bound tome with strange markings on it and a lantern with a lit candle inside. The Dark Magician strode over to the desk and pulled out the chair. "I'll be looking for a spell to help with your hunger. You can have a seat on the bed if you want. Make yourself comfortable." he said, sitting down and opening the book. Yugi did and marveled at how soft the bed was. He curled up and watched the magician as his blue eyes scanned the pages, his lips moving ever so slightly as he read the words. The boy soon forgot his hunger and fell asleep.

            *----------*

            "And in the latest news, local high school boy Yugi Mutou has mysteriously vanished from his home earlier today. He—"

            "Holy shit! Yugi's gone?!" Joey yelped from his place on Tristan's sofa. The said brunette was sitting in the armchair with his injured foot on the footrest and Téa sat next to Joey. Bakura was seated on the floor next to the couch with his legs crossed and muching on popcorn. They had been watching a movie on cable before a news update had interrupted the program.

            "Don't curse! You know how much I hate that!" the only girl in the room batted Joey's uninjured arm, disguising her worry for the missing boy with anger for Joey's foul language.

            "Shh!" Bakura hissed, and they quieted to hear the rest of the shocking news.

            "If you have any information, please contact this number on the screen." The said number showed up with a picture of Yugi above it. The four friends both leaned back and looked at each other.

            "You think he ran away because of us?"

            "Do you think he ran away?"

            "Well what else would he do?"

            "He might have been kidnapped."

            "In his own home?"

            "Well..."

            "We can only hope he's okay." With the final words spoken by the silver-haired British child, they returned to watching the movie. It wasn't as good as it had been now.

**~~~I Believe In You**

**I Have Found The Perfect Way~~~**

Am I rushing? I think I'm rushing with the fic...oh well! It'll get better, I promise!


	3. Surrounded By Your Glory

Disclaimer: Yes, this thing has shown up again because I need to give credit to an idea that is not mine. The idea of Yami not being able to sense Yugi unless he was dead or in a realm that blocked their contact belongs to Miss Sera. Thank you very much for the idea since my own ideas either suck or don't make sense. o^.^o

Author's Notes: ARGH! Too..short....must...learn...to...write...more...and to stop speaking like Captain Kerk....o^.^o;; The beginning and ending words are from Bush's "Communicator", as song just as short as this chapter.

New Break:

~***~

_dream__ sequence_

**Creature Comforts**

**Chapter Three: Surrounded By Your Glory**

            Yugi awoke to a painfully empty stomach and something warm next to him. And arm was draped around his waist and he could hear the peaceful breathing of a sleeping person. He turned over to see the Dark Magician settled next to him and in a deep sleep. The magician was without his armor and dressed in purple silk pajamas, and the boy's heart skipped a beat when he saw the mage next to him. He looked magnificent, even though indigo-colored strands of hair hung down across his face. Yugi gently pushed the silken locks away and admired the magician.

            '_I wish I was as handsome as he is..._' the boy thought, then looked around. The lantern's candle's flame had been extinguished and all was relatively dark. His stomach once again reminded him that he had not eaten in a while and Yugi sighed. He hated to wake the Dark Magician, but he gently shook his shoulder anyway. Blue eyes fluttered open and the magician rubbed the sleep from his eyes, then looked at Yugi.

            "Yes?"

            "Um...I'm a little hungry..."

            "Alright." the mage said with a smile, patting the boy's head affectionately. He had grown fond of the child, as anyone would. Slowly he sat up and stretched before sliding off the bed and going to the tome once more. Yugi stared after him, admiring the taller man. (He was sure he was human and not simply a "Duel Monster".) He opened the book to a bookmarked page and read the words once more. He backed away and took a breath before murmuring something in a language the boy could neither hear nor understand, though what little he heard sounded suspiciously like Latin. The air felt warmer for a moment and Yugi felt something appear next to him. A tray of delicious looking food was there and his stomach growled once more at the sight. The Dark Magician smiled as the short teenager nearly inhaled the food, occasionally stopping between bites to thank him. He was going to like having this boy around for however long he was going to stay.

*----------*

Yugi's grandfather sat on his grandson's bed with his hands folded in his lap. Had he been too harsh on the young man yesterday? Yugi would never leave without the puzzle, and yet the thing sat next to him, almost radiating sadness.

Inside the puzzle in his Soul Room, Yami was closer to tears than he had ever been in a very long time. Where had his light gone? He couldn't sense the boy anymore, but if he had killed himself or gotten killed he would have been alerted by the child's soul. It felt like he was in a safe place with someone to be trusted, but Yami didn't know where. Something kept repeating in his mind, however:

_Safe inside the heart of a card._

He had no idea what it meant, but it was a little comfort in the least.

And what neither Yugi's grandfather nor Yami noticed was that the Dark Magician card was laying on the floor next to Yugi's bed with a slightly different picture. Behind the magician and just barely visible in the shadows was a small boy with spiky, tri-colored hair.

~**********~

_How did I get here?_

_You wished it. Magic doesn't always come in the form of spells._

_Why am I here?_

_You wanted a friend and you have received one. I wanted someone here with me and now I have someone. You._

_Why did you want me here?_

_It wasn't exactly you that I wanted. Just about anyone would have done nicely. I get so lonely sometimes..._

_I'm sorry._

_That's alright. You're here, are you not? You're the light in my darkness._

_That's what Yami used to say..._

_You miss him._

_Yeah...but he's probably still mad at me._

_Probably not.__ They are all probably very sad that you are not there. You are a bright light of hope for anyone you come across._

_.....Thank you._

_You're very welcome._

~**********~

Yami awoke with a start. Yugi's grandfather had left and Yami had appeared to curl up in the bed and sadly remember Yugi. He'd now just had the strangest dream of Yugi talking to someone unknown but somehow familiar. He hadn't seen anything, just heard voices, but he had the strangest feeling that the child was about to come home.

**~~~Somewhere, Sometime**

**All Things Will Be Fine~~~**

Getting closer to the end, folks!


	4. I Miss The One That I Love A Lot

Author's Note: I didn't know the Dark Magician in PJ's would be so adored, so I just had to make a picture of it.  http://www.geocities.com/draconianeyes/magicianpjscolor.jpg . Isn't that just so cute? (CHIBI-NESS!) One of my best pictures, if I do say so myself. *blinks and watches as modesty flies out the window* o^.^o;; Heh...beginning and ending words are from Bush's "Swallowed". (By the way...Ghosts Dance? Thank you so much for reviewing my story! I can't believe a writer of your caliber had the patience to read some of my trash...I bow before thee, oh mighty Ghost-sama. *worships excessively*)

**Creature Comforts**

**Chapter Four: I Miss The One That I Love A Lot**

            Yugi sighed from the edge of the soft bed. The Dark Magician was asleep once more, curled up and warm under the soft covers and dressed in those too-cute-to-be-legal pajamas. Earlier he had spoken with the magician about why he was there and he'd had the strangest feeling that Yami had been listening to them. He could almost hear him now...

            //_Yugi__..._//

            /_Yami__?!_/

            //_YUGI! By Ra, Yugi, you had me worried! Where are you?/_/

            /_Um..._/

            //_Yugi__, where are you?/_/

            /_I'm not quite sure...and you wouldn't believe me if I told you./_

            //_Yugi__, tell me where you are./_/

            /_With the Dark Magician..._/

            //_WHAT?!_//

            /_Ow__! Yami, that was loud!/_

            //_Sorry, but what do you mean, 'with the Dark Magician'? That's a Duel Monster card./_/

            /_It's kind of strange, but I was taken to where the Dark Magician is. I guess I'm inside the heart of a card./_

            //_You're what?/_/

            /_Inside the heart of a card, I think..._/

            //_I kept hearing that...that exact phrase. That you were safe inside the heart of a card. And I heard you talking with someone in a dream of mine. You were asking him why you were there and he said he was lonely and you wanted friends._//

            /_That's exactly it, Yami! He told me magic doesn't alway come in the form of spells, too. Did you hear..._/

            //_That you missed me?/_/

            /_Yes...I do, Yami, and I'm really sorry for what I did. I didn't mean to hurt Joey and Tristan, I honestly didn't..._/

            //_I know, Yugi. We forgive you. We all miss you, too, and we wish you would come home./_/

            /_Okay, I will....Yami?_/

            //_Yes?_//

            /_...Does grampa miss me, too?/_

            //_Of course he does, Yugi. He misses you the most out of all of us./_/

            /_Okay...and Yami?/_

            //_Yes?_//

            /_I miss him, too. And Joey, Tristan, Bakura, and Téa. Tell them that, okay? And that I'm coming home very soon./_

            //_Alright, Yugi./_/

            /_I love you, Yami..._/

            //_I love you, too, Yugi./_/

            And with that, the telepathic conversation ended. Yugi looked over at the sleeping Dark Magician and shook his shoulder to wake him. Once again, blue eyes fluttered open and the mage looked at Yugi, this time giving him a playful glare.

            "Are you going to make a habit of interrupting my sleep?"

            "Sorry, but...I want to go home now. I managed to get through to Yami somehow and he says that everyone at home misses me and wants me to come back..."

            "Alright, I'll find a spell to get you home." the magician agreed and patted the boy's head, though the child could see a little reluctance in his blue eyes. He had made fast friends with the magician and now he had to leave, probably never to return. He would miss the kind sorcerer very, very much.

            *----------*

            "Yugi's comin' back? Where is 'e? How'd ya get ta talk to 'im? Did 'e phone ya or somethin'?" Joey gripped Yami's shirt tightly with his uninjured arm. The former pharaoh removed the blonde's hand from his shirt and sighed in annoyance.

            "He spoke to me telepathically. And...well, it's hard to explain where he is. He didn't know very well himself."

            "Then how is he going to get back?" Téa asked worriedly. After the glare she'd given Yugi she didn't care if he was in Tibet, so long as he came home so she could apologize.

            "I think it's best to let him explain when he comes home."

            "Alright..."

            *----------*

            The Dark Magician already had a wonderful speaking voice, but when he sang it was like listening to an angel.

            The spell had required a melody to lull the person to sleep before they traveled between dimensions. Fortunately the tome contained the notes to the melody and the magician could read music very well. Now the somniferous tenor voice had Yugi's eyelids drooping and he was nearly to the point of melting from the gentle caress of the magician's hand on his back.

            Before the magician had begun the spell, Yugi had given the mage something to remember him by.

            One of his buckles.

            It wasn't much, but the Dark Magician said he would treasure it always.

            Slowly the Latin words caused Yugi to float away into sleep, and before the Dark Magician's very eyes his body slowly faded away into the darkness as it slipped back to the boy's own world. He stayed silent for a moment before finally saying something.

            "I'll miss you, Yugi."

            *----------*

            "Yugi..."

            "Mmm..."

            "Yugi, wake up..."

            "Mphmm..."

            "Yugi, wake up..."

            "Hmm...? Yami?"

            "Welcome home, Yugi."

            *----------*

            "'Ey, Yug', there's somethin' weird wit' yer Dark Magician card!"

            "What is it, Joey?"

            "Looks like 'e's got a buckle 'round 'is neck, like you do."

            "Really? Interesting."

            "Does it hafta do wit' the fact 'dat you stayed wit' 'im fer a while?"

            "Actually, it does. I gave him one of my buckles to remember me by."

            "Oh. Ya miss 'im?"

            "Very much."

**~~~I'm With Everyone**

**And Yet Not~~~**

WAI! It's OVER! This is the first fanfic with chapters that I've managed to finish so far...by the way, when Yugi says "I love you" to Yami, he means it in a brotherly way. Sorry, yaoi fans. No Yugi/Yami smooch scenes this time. (I'll make a shounen ai story, don't worry. I like boys snuggling....o^.~o) Pink bunnies and sporks! o^.^o


End file.
